Problem Background
Wild animals need to be protected to ensure that they will be sustainable in the future by avoiding poaching and environmental degradation. In the article “Preventing Wildlife Crime with a Focus on Orangutans: Applying Social Influence Techniques to Public Education Efforts,” Sattler et al. (2020) explore various metrics concerning protecting orangutans from the risk of becoming extinct. Their study examines how self-benefit, understanding of existing threats, and the concept of habitat loss are linked with crimes against wildlife, especially orangutans.
The authors used about 251 people who viewed posts that gave information about the importance of conservation (Sattler et al., 2020). The researchers provided relevant data showing a need to protect endangered species, especially primates such as orangutans. This paper reviews the article by summarising the key elements and how the authors have undertaken their study to meet their key goals.
Key Elements in the Study
The authors started their study by critically analyzing the abstract and introduction. From the introduction, a reader understands that poaching and environmental degradation threaten the safety of wild animals. The study uses other literary sources to give substantial claims on the topic.
For instance, they have given Ghada Waly’s sentiments: “Preventing and tackling wildlife and forest crime is essential for sustaining all life on Earth […] On land and underwater, nature is under threat because of poaching and overexploitation…” (Sattler et al., 2020). That means the authors attributed their findings to relevant sources and key people in the industry.
The other key aspect raised in the paper is that orangutans have been endangered through organized crime and corruption, which necessitates biodiversity loss. The primates’ habitat is rainforests in Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra forests, where they spend their time in trees. Due to the lack of conservation, their study reveals that the Bornean orangutan population has decreased by more than 50% in the past 25 years (Sattler et al., 2020). Human beings have destroyed the primates’ habitat by more than half.
Additionally, legal and illicit deforestation. Logging and hunting of orangutans have led to the risk of the animals becoming extinct. The primates are critically endangered, with less than 1500 left in the forest, a significantly low number. Loss of habitat from mineral excavations has led to the predicaments that orangutans go through. Other key elements include high population growth, climate change, and transnational intentional crime. There is a need for immediate intervention to ensure that the orangutans survive the risks.
Solutions: Protection of the Orangutans
The study provided critical elements that can lead to the protection of these wild animals. The first point is educating the public on the threats to wildlife. That has been enabled through the zoo setting of exhibits and websites that educate visitors about habitat loss, conservation efforts, and threats to animals. For example, Woodland Park Zoo in the US presents visitors with a brief containing essential animal protection data. The study has disclosed that the zoo writes, “Half of your quarter goes to help fund all the field conservation projects we are involved in; the other half is applied to the project you choose!” (Sattler et al., 2020, p. 1791). That means raising awareness has been a key move towards protecting these animals.
Furthermore, the article has established self-benefits and other benefits regarding protecting orangutan habitats. Self-benefit appeal means a person would get a personal benefit from what they do, as far as the protection of these animals is concerned. The other benefits comprise conservation actions that make people learn how to prevent the destruction of habitat to avoid conflict between them and wild animals. These metrics are important for lowering the extinct risk factor for orangutans.
Methodology
The study was conducted in academic and professional prose due to the level of expertise in the methodology employed. There were 251 participants, which comprised 118 men and 128 women, with five unknown (Sattler et al., 2020). That shows the study took care of the clustering of samples, which guarantees its reliability. The study used posters measuring 11 by 17 inches that presented details about orangutans and their habitat areas (Sattler et al., 2020). The posters had photos of the animals, which improved the conceptual framework and understanding of what society requires to protect these animals.
In terms of accreditation, Western Washington University and Woodland Park Zoo reviewed and approved the study’s aims (Sattler et al., 2020). That means the study was mindful of ethical statutes in research. Data was collected and compiled, as seen in Figure 1 below, to ensure that concrete findings would be easily interpreted in the study’s results section.
Findings
The study’s findings show that many people were aware of orangutans but never considered the existing threats. Many were concerned about conserving the environment to avoid the underlying risks (Sattler et al., 2020). The discussion helps the audience understand the key elements, as seen in the previous section. The researchers attributed other authors by citing their work and adding references.
The study was partitioned in terms of paragraphs for aesthetic and clarity purposes. The authors declared no conflict of interest and acknowledged the respective bodies for their assistance. However, the study did not give definite research questions, and no hypothesis can be traced. No literature review introduces the audience to the existing gaps in the topic. The authors have not highlighted possible research extensions that need to be undertaken to cover the topic broadly.
Reference
Sattler DN, Berg H, Grattan SR, et al. (2020). Preventing Wildlife Crime with a Focus on Orangutans: Applying Social Influence Techniques to Public Education Efforts. Wiley Online Library, 37 (12), 1790–1796. Web.